Register Now

In order to be able to post messages on the SailNet Community forums, you must first register. Please enter your desired user name, your email address and other required details in the form below.Please note: After entering 3 characters a list of Usernames already in use will appear and the list will disappear once a valid Username is entered.

User Name:

Password

Please enter a password for your user account. Note that passwords are case-sensitive.

Password:

Confirm Password:

Email Address

Please enter a valid email address for yourself.

Email Address:

OR

Log-in

User Name

Password

Remember Me?

Human Verification

In order to verify that you are a human and not a spam bot, please enter the answer into the following box below based on the instructions contained in the graphic.

Additional Options

Miscellaneous Options

Automatically parse links in text

Automatically embed media (requires automatic parsing of links in text to be on).

Automatically retrieve titles from external links

Click here to view the posting rules you are bound to when clicking the'Submit Reply' button below

Topic Review (Newest First)

11-09-2007 10:53 PM

SEMIJim

Wow, almost four months this thread has been going

I'd like thank everybody for their comments.

I think, from what I've read here, I'm satisfied an Origo non-pressurized alcohol stove would be the way for us to go. It seems to me much simpler (I like simple) and somewhat safer.

It's not something we're likely to do right away, in any event. This upgrade will wait until we seriously start to plan our first cruise. That's probably a ways off.

Jim

11-09-2007 09:26 PM

CosmosMariner

I can't resist getting into this one! Our Origo has worked well for over 20 years. We replaced the canisters 2 years ago. As an example, I've cooked Chicken piccatta and pasta on it, bacon and eggs, pan fried fish and steaks with steak fries, broccoli and gravy, Chinese dishes and if you check out my photo gallery on this site you can see the cake http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/.../ppuser/132057 and Italian bread http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/.../ppuser/132057 we bake in our Coleman camper stove set on top of one burner. You can't bake bread without good temperature control and with the thermometer on the Coleman it is easy and precise. I've made time comparisons of using propane vs unpressurized alcohol and the difference is insignificant. I considered switching to propane which is great cooking fuel but given the safety factor we decided to stay with the Origo. We do have a propane Magma grill and a 6lb aluminum bottle mounted on the stern rail.

bsfree, just get an oven thermometer at the hardware store and you'll be able to get it precisely! Also our fuel consumption is the same as you state about a gallon a month using it every day.

11-07-2007 11:13 AM

bsfree

I'm very happy with my Origo 6000, cooked a delicious roast chicken this past weekend, and while it is true that the temp control is not precise I have learned to use the oven more by "feel" than numbers. The top burners work just fine for me. I think it's an individual preference whether one goes with propane or alcohol, the reality is they both are capable of cooking a decent meal, safely, how decent will depend on the cook!
There has been a lot of debate over propane v alcohol, I myself asked for advice here before I went the alcohol way, mainly because of the simplicity. It is more expensive, cost me approx $14 a gallon which lasts around 4 weeks cooking every day.
All the best

11-07-2007 10:29 AM

fordo

The Tartan 30 I bought had an Origo that the PO had put in to replace the pressurized alcohol stove. I was very pleasantly suprised by how good it is. Much faster than I expected. Retrofitting for propane can be a real pain and pressurized alcohol can be very annoying, especially as these stoves are now pretty old. If it is not easy to install the propane go with the Origo. I am told that West Marine handles these stoves on a special order basis. Good Luck! Ford

10-28-2007 10:59 AM

Mary51

Non-pressurized alcohol works fine for me

This last trip out, I cooked and baked using a pressure cooker and the non-pressuized Origo. It worked just fine.

The preference here seems similar to discussion of electric windlasses in a way. Is it important to you do things quickly (electric windlass, propane stove/oven) or would you rather not have to operate and maintain complicated systems (non-pressure alcohol, manual or no windlass)?

I have to keep it simple.

Mary

10-28-2007 08:26 AM

sailingdog

JS-

I'm glad you like the Aeropress. I've given a few away as gifts...they're great.

10-28-2007 08:15 AM

Joesaila

We checked out a lot of the old post when our 30' Morgan OI came with a new Origo non pressurized Alc. and almost bought the arguments about the slow cooking Origo but one sailer said she had used one for about 10 years and loved it so we decided to give it a try. It works great, we love it too and while it lacks an oven it cooks and heats our food and coffee fine. We use denatured Alch. from most any hardware store and at the suggestion of one of the experts purchased an Aeropress coffee maker [you only heat the water to 165-175 degrees to make perfect coffee]. We have owned and used propane on other boats and yes its faster but the expense [and danger] does not make it worthwhile to us. Try it, then decide. You too may be pleasantly surprised.

07-26-2007 10:19 PM

Sailormann

I have a converter on my boat - not an inverter, hence I think that I have to use a 12V microwave... The batteries have 230 amp hours (when they were new - about 7 years old now). So when I looked at the RV microwaves I believe they were drawing close to 100 amps, which I figured would probably wipe the batteries out fast.

Damn, that's a properly sized one. Not like those tiny things they use on Portuguese race boats to save weight!

07-26-2007 11:53 AM

TrueBlue

Quote:

Of course, the coffee was made rapidly by boiling water and using a Bodum (sometimes called a French press).

We love coffee made with our Bodum as well - a saucepan, or tea kettle, of spring water boils in just 3 minutes over a propane burner. Scoop 5-6 measures of course ground coffee into the bottom of the carafe (I buy whole beans of French Roast and grind enough for cruising, from shore power), pour water in and let it steep for 5 minutes. Then plunge the gasketed and screened cover down and enjoy.

This thread has more than 10 replies.
Click here to review the whole thread.